When it comes to emergencies, most people instinctively call 9-1-1. If your safety is at risk, whether because of fire, violence, or illness, 9-1-1 can be a lifesaver. Unfortunately, 9-1-1 does have its limits, and today I’d like todiscuss them. For the purpose of this blog, I’ll focus on the police.
If you’ve been a victim of a crime, the police will assist you in trying to find out whodunnit. If you’ve been involved in a car accident, the police will record the accident and proceed accordingly. If you’ve been hit by your spouse, the police will show up and arrest him or her. However, if you’re involved in a civil dispute, the police won’t do a thing for you.
For example:
- Say someone owes you money and won’t pay you back. If you call the police, they’ll show up and tell you there’s nothing they could do for you.
- Say your landlord has locked you out of your apartment. If you call the police, they’ll show up and tell you there’s nothing they can do for you.
- Say you get fired after you become pregnant. If you call the police, they’ll show up and tell you there’s nothing they can do for you.
- Say you have bought something from the department store and they won’t accept your return. If you call the police, they’ll show up and tell you that there’s nothing they can do for you.
… You get the idea. Generally speaking, if you are trying to get money out of someone, chances are the police can’t help you, unless the money was stolen from you or fraudulently obtained.
In the examples above, what should you do?
You should:
- Call your lawyer and ask for a demand letter. You may be surprised that how fast the debtor pays the debt in full after seeing a lawyer’s letterhead in the mailbox.
- Call your lawyer and apply for relief before the proper authority. In Ontario, it would be the Landlord and Tenant Board.
- Call your lawyer and negotiate a severance package or take appropriate legal action against your employer.
- Tell the store that you are going to call your lawyer.
